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CAME-TV CAME-SINGLE RAW Uncut Unedited Footage

People have been asking to see some video footage from the CAME-SINGLE, and so I thought I'd throw something up. It's not pretty, but that's exactly what I was going for in this example. Here you've got over 4 minutes of Raw footage, uncut, unedited, no slow motion, and no image stabilization. I've also included a BTS video showing the gimbal in use.

Single handed gimbals are great, but this means you have to be extra careful as well. Two handed operation will always allow you to be more stable. So in my setup i've added a 15mm rod adapter under the handle, a 15mm rod horizontally, and two 15mm handles.

Even though i've added extra handles, there's several instances to which the gimbal was in extreme angles (low mode) and time where I only operated with one handle. The gimbal still performed pretty darn good. For those who are familiar with using alexmos gimbals, you'll notice there are no 'twitches', 'micro jitters', and the horizon (roll) did not drift. It stayed level after the entire time even after panning, tilting, and low mode shooting.

121 thoughts on “CAME-TV CAME-SINGLE RAW Uncut Unedited Footage”

People in this thread. When you balance your camera and the gimbal is off. What does your gimbal do when you pull on the roll axis? Does it automatically return to level or does it stay where it is? Thanks!

@jsfilmz - I haven't had the chance to do a tutorial, but if it only vibrates at certain angles, the area you can try is the Adaptive PID Gains. From what I understand this only kicks in when it needs to, so like when you go to a different angle.

@jsfilmz - It's all in the tuning. I'm guessing the PID settings are too high for your setup. You can try lowering some of the motor power settings and the PID, but make sure you save your original settings first. It's also best to just figure out which one is causing the vibrations and just make adjustments to that one axis.

Hi Emm please disregard above. Turns out I'm just not well practised at panning. Started using the '7 second rule' and my footage looks a lot better. Now thinking of the gimbal as a means of enhancing my footage rather than a way of doing things radically different.

many thanks for your advice Emm! I tried OIS off and also different lens combinations and also did a better job of balancing the gimbal. Same problem! I have now come to realize that the problem is the judder in my new GH4! Can't believe how bad it is! have you any advice in shooting 24p on GH4 without getting the judder effect? If this is discussed elsewhere could you direct me please.

@Ian Swarbrick - I don't think the DIY solution is any less stable. These systems both use SBGC 32 bit and both have encoders. They both perform very very well, so really the difference boils down to size and need.

Hi Emm.
The reviews are great and I just ordered a CAME-TV Single based on your reviews.

I was thinking of trying iPhone 6s+ with Beast Grip Pro and moondoglabs anamprophic lens but noticed that some set ups might be too light.
Have you had any experience and what would you recommend with this set up.

Emm, as you prefer 2 handles anyway, and now that the Varavon Birdycam Lite is avaailble, would you choose the Varavon over this now? I know that the Varavon can carry more weight, but putting that aside, would you find it better, having two handles of original design rather than an add-on d-i-y solution?

@Steve - If the system is viibrating, touch each motor. Which one feels like it's vibrating more? Try holding each motor steady with your fingers (keep it from vibrating). You may notice it will have an effect when you try to steady a motor, and that's the one you want to target.

@Dan - Have you tried with OIS off? But if it's not OIS, then maybe you want to go into your 'follow' tab and increase the LPF value for YAW (pan). Just make sure you change it for each one of the profiles.

@Alex - There is a lot of ways you can try to tune PID settings, but technically if the problem arises when you are at a certain angle, you should be tuning the PID settings at that angle. Not at a normal level stance. So position your gimbal where it starts to vibrate and try tuning from there. I will try and make settings on mine.

I tried also the BMPCC with the old (and heavy) Panasonic 14-140mm and the Voigtländer Nokton 17,5mm. In both setups the camera with cage and lense weighed around one kilogramm. So i dont know, if the weight really the key factor here.

@Alex - I can see you're using the BMPCC and 7-14mm. The vibrations are caused because the setup is extremely light. You have to tune the PID settings lower because there's too much. Let me see if I can throw the same setup on my SINGLE and tune the PID values.

You see the picture shaking while the pitch move? And the extrem motor noise at more or less extreme positions? I tried countless PID and motor setting, but never got the problem under control. The other two axis are working without any problems and i could even optimized their settings.

@Alex - NO! If your gimbal is working correctly, never mess with the Encoder settings. You can change PID settings (and other settings) without messing the system up, but then there are a few other places that will screw your whole calibration up as well. You have to know what you can and can't change without affecting your Encoder calibration. I highly suggest you NEVER DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL PROFILES FROM SOMEONE ELSE (unless you're following a total wipe out restore procedure).

PID can be changed. Motor Power can be changed (but not motor invert). Follow modes can be changed. Some RC settings can be adjusted like Speed and LPF. This should be enough for you to tune the gimbal.
Remember to always take a snapshot of your original settings, so you can put them back later. Also remember that there are different profiles and you should make the same changes to each one, so that when you switch profiles it works the same (except for follow mode).
DO NOT CHANGE anything with Motor Invert, Sensor Orientation, and Frame IMU sensors (among other things).

@Emm: Do you reset the encoders to zero befor you Change the PID-Settings and/or do you calibrate them afterwards?

I calibrated gimbals before - but without any encoders. If i set them to zero ("deactivate" them) on the Came-TV Single, its impossible to calibrate the PID Setting right, cause the gimbal goes always much to slow back into the right position. I find that strange cause i thought the encoders just improve the gimbal performance a little bit and are not necessary for his function.

Thank you for your fast answer, but the weight is not the problem. I tried it with a 1,08 kilo camera setup, also with a 0,5 kilo setup and always had the same issues: The pitch-axis shakes as if the motor has a problem... no matter what motor power i use 🙁

@Alex - Sounds like you have a pretty lightweight setup. You may need to start changing some PID values. Find the motor that vibrates and reduce the PID values for that motor a little bit at a time and retest. Make sure to write down your original settings in case you need to change it back.

since last Friday iam a proud owner of the Came-TV single. But unfortunately i have some serious issues with it: the problem is that the pitch-axis is always shaking (or micro-vibrating). I tried it with different cameras and tested different motor powers but the result was never satisfactory.

Hey Emm, thanks for all of those tests, i have one big question and maybe You could help me with it, because, which is strange, i couldnt find answer or any information about this.
Anyway, i'm looking for stabilizer for my gh4 12-35 setup mainly for weddings. I'm thinking about came mini 2 or came single, but after watching and reading 3 weeks about those and other gimbals, i still couldn't decide. Mini is great for aditional accessories, but i think using it on normal mode will make too low shots.. Single is great because of operating time, but it lacks of adding any accessories to it. If i can go without monitor and led light, i really can't shoot without additional microphone (i have rode stereo videomic pro).. And there the question, have you ever tried to put a mic on hot shoe and use it on mini or single? Whole setup would be still ~980g, but will it be really usable? I was thinking about mounting it on spider rig or something, then i could have place to mount microphone and light for example, but i don't know it it would be really usable..
Could You help me with this anyhow? What gimbal would You recommend for me? Or maybe should i wait for new beholder ds1? Have You tried it?
Much thanks for Your reply.
Lukas

@Tyler - First take down your original PID settings. If you can't get the vibration to go away with motor power settings, then you can try PID tuning, but make sure you document what you have already there. First figure out which axis (motor) is vibrating when you perform your moves. Then adjust the PID values for that axis. If you see issues with panning, then make changes to YAW. Example, Increasing the D and lowering the I will make panning smoother and slower.

I recently tried to adjust the motor power settings on my came single. At first, I lowered all the motor power settings and it seemed like the vibrations were getting worse. So I raised them to about 220 190 and 240 which worked just a bit better. I am using a Sony a7s with a sony zeiss 55mm sonnar T f1.8 lens. I also tried with a lens hood to give it more weight but it doesn't seem to help much. Do you have any idea as to what my motor and PID settings should be to get that great smooth look like you do?

@David - Yes the the software will display your firmware version, but if the GUI doesn't match, you may not see all of your options. So it's best to try and use one exactly or closest to the firmware you have on your system. The guide should be up soon.

Thanks so much for your response! Really looking forward to seeing your guide on settings for the Single!! In principle this should be an amazing gimbal.

Excuse my lack of knowledge on firmware, when I connect my Single to the SBGC gui in the top left it shows board version 3.1 and then to the right of that it shows firmware 2.55 b4, I assumed the firmware referred to that of the gimbal? The version of SBGC gui I'm using is 2.50 b3 should that relate to the firmware?

I'm still getting bad vibrational problems even though it seems to not been freaking out on the YAW now.

@David - Downloading different versions of 'software' doesn't upgrade the firmware on the board. It just has different tabs, so it's always better to use something as close as possible to the firmware on the controller.

Changing motor power should not be a big deal, but don't ever change anything on the sensor, or motor invert, or the encoders tab. Because of the Encoders, there's a very very specific (did I mention very specific?) way of making changes to the SINGLE gimbal. You have to start by removing all of the encoder settings first, and then moving on to the other settings.

Today i'll try to do a video on this process, as I know some people may tinker way too far and need a way to get back. This process should restore your system to a better state. Stay tuned.

In post 69 you list several things to never alter, one of them is updating firmware. I have been struggling with my Single with vibrations and footage that isn't smooth at all. I have been speaking with the Came TV tech guy USA and he asked me to download the latest SBGC software (2.55b3) and make alterations to the yaw motor power. I was nervous to do this as everyone says not to fiddle, but hey this was the Came TV tech support telling me so i did exactly as he said. Subsequently it has totally upset the gimbal and it now freaks out on the yaw axis, despite me putting the yaw motor power back to what it was (200). I notice the firmware is showing v2.55b4 I was wondering what firmware you have on yours? I haven't touched any other settings other than what the tech guy told me to do. So wondering if this could be the culprit, is it possible to go backwards with firmware? I have uploaded some clips to vimeo that show the vibrational problems I'm having (let me know if you want links and password). Would really appreciate any help you can give! Much thanks!

Hi,
what I would really like to see is footage of actually using the gimbal. I mean, not the result, but actually using it. If I need to manually focus f.i., how easy is it with the camera on the gimbal? Can I easily reach it, look trough the viewfinder, or not? Do I have to take the camera of overtime, and balance it again?
Other example: I'm on holiday, and walking trough a city with the camera attached to the gimbal. Turned of, to save battery. Suddenly I see a nice view. How long does it take, and how easy is it to get to the point where you can actually start filming?
I would really appreciate something practical as that, and I have a feeling that I would not be the only one.
THX.

Thanks so much for this and all other information you provide. I've recently gotten into cinematography and am going to upgrade to the GH4 + 12-35 lens combo. I know you sorta answered this already, but in comparing the Came Mini2 to the Single, is there still a big weight difference once you are using your "modified" Single two handle set-up?

@yakir - It's just a matter of going up and down on PID settings. Listen to what motor vibrates and make adjustments to that motor. No need to change settings on everything, just on what needs it. Lowering Motor Power on an axis will directly affect the PID settings for that axis so sometimes you can get rid of vibrations by lowering motor power and leaving the PID the same.

@yakir - Yes i'm guessing the PID Values and Motor values may be a bit high for that lightweight system and will vibrate when going to extreme angles. If you are trying to change the PID values yourself, PLEASE DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING ELSE except for PID values and Motor Power.

1. Do not upgrade firmware.
2. Do not modify Motor Invert Options.
3. Do not modify Sensor Orientations.
4. Do not modify the Advanced tab.
5. NEVER MODIFY the ENCODER Tab.
6. Pretty much don't modify anything if you don't have to!.

Ok having said that, you can try these values for PID on your CAME-SINGLE. Just make sure you write down your old values so you can put it back. If you change the values in Profile1, make sure to make the same changes in Profile2, and Profile3. Always hit the 'Write' button after any change.

@dafreaking - Yes you can mount the entire handle onto a Manfrotto Quick Release. The QR plate under the handle will block the battery door, but that shouldn't be a problem since the batteries run very long.

@Danny - I don't think you have it correct. The handles connect directly to the 15mm rod. Only one Pico Plate is mounted directly under the SINGLE Handle. The two side handles have their own clamps to attach to the 15mm rod.

So with the two handle set up, are you using a third pico plate in the center of the carbon fiber Rod? Or are you using some type of wider plate? I know you're using them at the bottom of each handle but what are you mounting the single on in the center of the rod? Thanks Emm.

@Nick Bicanic - The GH4 has autofocus in video too. Not the fastest, but not bad especially with wider lenses. Otherwise, you can try using the Aputure DEC Lens Adapter and a small Canon Lens. The Canon STM lenses are small pancake like lenses, so that combination will work and you will have full manual focus control as well as iris control.

Emm - so how do you recommended shooting if there's no viable microfollowfocus on the market (I'm astounded someone hasn't made one powered from the rails to save space/weight - the lenses are light and simple so the receiver/motor can be tiny )

The Transmitter can be a tad heavier - but that's not on the gimbal so the weight doesn't matter quite as much

On the A7S you can shoot in AF-C mode but you run the risk of focus hunting

@Nick Bicanic - If you're still getting micro vibrations, try lowering your PID settings a bit more. If your motor Power is set to 200 then try using 180. PID is relative to power so that's like lowering the power across the system. If it's still vibrating, figure out which motor it is. You can try lowering the P and increasing the D. Try to make these changes a little at a time and re-test. You can generally tell if it's getting better or worse. If the vibrations are worse, then do the opposite of your changes. Use a very long flexible USB cable when doing this so you can pick up the system and test it while it's still connected every time you make little changes.

Been a while since I posted a question here...disappointingly I was never able to get my CAME 7000 (balanced and modded with tidy wires) to work no matter what I tried PID wise - (when I get a free few hours I'll fiddle with it again)

However the CAME single worked out of the box - tried Emm's modified settings under profile 1 - as well as the stock settings.

I tested with a GH4 + 20mm pancake lens and an A7S with 55mm f1.8 Sony lens.

I also modified the follow speed to be a touch faster (I felt it was too slow for my style of shooting) - and ironically the joystick to be a bit slower 😉

My question is follow focus ;(

on the GH4 the Android App allows you to control focus at least a little bit...but on the A7S (at least as near as I can tell) - it's either full manual, or AF-C - neither of which are particularly useful...

Any solutions for this you can suggest? (other than trying to configure a RedRock Micro or similar??)

@Anthony Burokas - I'm guessing you're not watching the BTS POV. Do you see why the gimbal wasn't stable? I wasn't holding it properly. I was repositioning from holding it completely sideays and changing profile modes with the button. Could very well be rolling shutter in there too.

You said no micro jitters, but when you reach the corner, I just watch the house across the street with the yellow fire hydrant, at a point where there's not a lot of walking going on at all, and I can see the system clearly jitter a few times.

These systems need some "fuzzy logic" like they put into the early VHS camcorder focus systems which had this same problem.

Emm, do you have any recommendations for fast lenses for the GH4 for low light flying with the Came-Single? I love using Voigtlander Noktons for low light shooting but at 540g for the 17.5mm that would put me at 1.1kg. I'm assuming this would be too heavy?

@Vince - Typically if you have to use a lens adapter, then it's probably not a good fit. I know people keep asking for smaller gimbals, but the fact is you have to use a small camera setup. Lens adapters and Nikon or Canon lenses put you back in the DJI Ronin-M sized gimbals.

Thanks for showcasing how this looks. I've been looking for something fairly small (smaller than a glidecam) that can last a full day of a wedding shoot. I don't really have a way to weigh this out but I'm wondering if an A7s with a metabones adapter and a Nikon 20mm 2.8 or 50mm 1.4mm would work with the weight load of what the Single can handle.

It seems like most of your comments say this will only work with a GH4 or A7s with their smaller native lenses. No adapters. You have any guesses if this will work with adapters and smaller Canon or Nikon lenses?

@Guru - Even if you can fit it, doesn't make it the best stabilizer for that type of weight. 1Kg is ideal if you want to get the best performance. I'll be trying some Sony lenses later this week and see what might work.

Hi I posted this query under the youtube video as well. I am planning to use this with the Sony A7rII and Rokinon 35mm 1.5T Cine DS lens. Total weight is just under 1400 gms. Do you think this will work? If not, which alternate lens can I consider?

Fantastic footage! Thanks for sharing. Do you happen to know if this will support the a7ii or better yet the upcoming a7rii? Perhaps the mini2 is a better option for the newer FE models since they're bigger?

Also, Any plans on reviewing the new Glidecam Devin Graham series? I plan to upgrade to one of these cameras and one of these gimbals/stedicam. The Glidecam DG is priced pretty close to these but seems like it's priced that way due to it being able to handle light and heavy loads.

@David - Yes changing out the 18650 batteries can be weird, but you get used to it. Actually it gets easier with practice, and fortunately you don't have to change them often.

Smaller lenses will force you to move the camera position forward and also more left. That's just the nature of CG (center of gravity), and you will have this same issue with any gimbal. Keep in mind the SINGLE is still one of the larger gimbals, so imagine the cramped space on smaller platforms.

Finally about the size of the gimbal, yes it's bigger than the H1+ but smaller than most other systems. That's just the nature of it, and trying to go too small will bring up an entirely new set of issues. There's pros and cons to everything, just have to figure out what works best for you.

I have found the Single to be REALLY smooth, your sidewalk video certainly backs up my own findings. Its hard to explain but you can feel the difference between 8 bit and 32 bit, or maybe its the encoders?

Couple of practical things I don't like and wonder if you have found this, getting both 18650 batteries out is awkward, the first comes out fine but the second battery is obstructed by the spring in the battery flap. The toolless design it great however when balancing with smaller lenses than the 12-35, say for example the 25mm f1.4 or the pancake lenses I find the GH4 has to be hard up against the left in order to balance, meaning the GH4 strap eyelet collides with the balancing knob. Folding the top half of the gimbal into its case, I can't see how its possible to make it fit into the cases foam cut-out or how to make it particularly compact? Maybe i'm being a bit slow?

@Peter Bosch - Yeah I think my PID settings are a good start for light cameras. The good thing about PID tuning is that you can try it, and then change things back if you don't like it. You just want to make sure you are doing it correctly in the software so you don't change anything else. I'll see if I can throw up a video on how to do this.

I like the two handle attachment you added. Can you point me in the right direction on what I need to buy for a similar setup? Have you found the battery life to be a crazy 10 hours like advertised? Is it best to turn IS/OSS/VC etc on or off when on this gimbal?

Thanks for posting Emm. Impressive stabilisation, very smooth and reassures me after pre-ordering! The technique you used about at 1:00 seems to achieve an almost inverted mode/ low angle result which is promising too. Can you link to where you got the handle set-up? Thanks

@henry - The Mini2 can do inverted, can do briefcase mode, and can support a bit larger setup over the SINGLE. The SINGLE has the encoders which help make it more stable, but only for lightweight setups. I'm going to try a Sony A7s with a Sony lens later this week on the SINGLE, so we'll see how that turns out.

@Dan K. - Vibrations could be a few things. First double check that you have it balanced properly. Lots of people forget to re-adjust the YAW balance, especially after swapping lenses. You have to go back and re-adjust the YAW. Typically if you have the PID settings too low or too high, the motors will have to work harder (vibrations). If you understand how to change PID settings (only if you know how), then you can try adding the PID settings I posted in these comments. But please don't attempt to do something if you're not familiar. Nothing should be changed except for PID settings.

Thank you sir for this video. This is exactly what I have been waiting for.
I am wanting to use this with a Sony A7s and a ultra wide lens for interiors filming. I was thinking about the Rokinon 14mm which weighs 570g. The Sony a7s weighs 489g with battery so I would be just above that 1kg limit by 59g unfortunately. Is that an egregious amount over the limit to where it would cause problems?
If so then it's looking like the Sony 10-18 will be the choice as it only weighs 225g.

First of all, thanks for all your hard wok, I have ben a fan over the years but this is my first comment/question. And I know you have been asked this further up on this thread, but I was hoping for an answer specific to my camera set up.

I'm about to buy either the single or the mini 2. I have a sony a7s with the 28mm f2 sony lens. Whats are the pros and cons of the mini 2 vs the single. I know the single can't do inverted mode which is 1 big point for the mni 2, but how do they compare in other ways? How about the size and weight of each too?

@T2 - CAME-TV sent this over to me, and I will keep it. Not just because of performance, but because I tend to get sooooo many questions about gimbals, it's easier if I have a unit here to help answer questions. But to be honest, i'm always looking for the smallest possible tool for the job. I don't like to travel with too much gear whenever possible.

Now comparing the Mini 2 and the SINGLE, I have to say the encoders really feel different. Less drift on the horizon and I love being able to readjust the camera position just by grabbing it by hand. Of course the SINGLE and MINI2 support different types of camera setups, so you have to think about what each one can physically fit and which would be better for you. Keep in mind that both the SINGLE and the MINI2 cannot handle large camera setups, so you're still looking at any gimbal about the size of the DJI Ronin-M for DSLR Bodies, or any mirrorless with a Metabones lens adapter.

I see so many questions about if the MINI2 or SINGLE can accept DSLR cameras or a GH4 with a Speedbooster. Bottom line is you're not going to get good results if you try to exceed the weight limit. If you are using smaller camera setups like an RX100, RX10, GH4 with MFT lens, Sony A7s with a light lens, then it will do great. You didn't mention what type of camera and lens you're trying to fly, so you'll have to decide what's best for you.

@CNek - I use UWA lenses so it's easier to keep a subject on frame, and also keeps things from falling out of focus. It's more practical than aesthetics. If you want to use a longer and narrow focal length, it's not easy to just randomly shoot around. You have to coordinate your shots and have a way to adjust focus. Some of the new cameras can auto-focus so that might be helpful.

I know that their video quality isn't the best, but I am curious. In some shots the OMDs seem to be "almost" smooth walking. I wonder if the 5-axis stabilization would take the Ronin M or Came Single to the next level...

@Ray - It worked okay before, but I changed it for myself. Normally it's setup for heavier cameras, and this was a lightweight setup. But my PID settings still work great for a GH4 + 12-35mm too. CAME-TV does not recommend making any changes, so make sure you know what you're doing before you dive in. CAME-TV may not provide you with support to restore your system. So always make a backup and DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING ELSE!

Here's the PID settings that was used in this video on the CAME-SINGLE. It's not perfect, but it's good for a light camera setup.

Hi Emm, very cute model. Thanks for posing the footage. Did you play with the PID settings at all for this footage or is this the default settings? If you did change the PID settings, how much did you have to change?

@Fionn - The gimbal can compensate for a lot of movement. I'm not doing anything different than just walking. Of course, my hands are used to working with stabilizers, so maybe I just have more practice than the average person. If you watch the BTS video i'm really stretching it out there, and holding it awkwardly sometimes. It did pretty good despite how I was managing it.